What to do in Barcelona?

Things to do in Barcelona

I’m still not sure if I covered it all. Perhaps, no 🙂 Barcelona impressed me by the diversity – cultural, national, intellectual, active and passive, friendly and romantic, arty and outgoing… It felt like this city has it all – whoever you are, you’ll find yourself in Barcelona. And if not – then you didn’t use wisely the precious knowledge below!

Sportive holidays

Barcelona and generally Catalonia is first of all a piece of land for active people. If you want to see the capital – go on a walking tour, on a cycling tour, on a segway tour, on a Vespa tour, on a GoCar tour, whatever. But you’ll be forced to move from the very beginning.

Hopefully you don’t mind that, so I can be confident with sharing the information for sportive and active people below.

Tennis holidays offered by Costa del Tennis – a tennis camp organizer with stays in Mallorca, Gran Canaria, Malaga and Barcelona. The adult camp includes 15h of tennis, 2h of group coaching, a supervised match and transportation to & from the club. Available options in Barcelona: excluding hotel (590 EUR) or including accommodation (1160 – 1350 EUR) – prices per person, per week. There is a possibility to agree on a custom made schedule. (I know the organizers almost personally – thanks social media – due to my past job in a Spanish tennis resort and can highly recommend Rhonda as a very responsive person!

Montjuic E-bike tour – bike-friendly paths in the most picturesque quarter of the city, overlooking the harbor, visiting Montjuic Castle, the Palau Nacional, Olympic Stadium. Available from 12 y.o., prices from 36 EUR/person

Biketoursbarcelona is offering tours like Modernist route, Classic route, Parks & Beaches, Montjuic, Carretera de las Aigues. By the way, this company was founded in 1995, when Barcelona had no cyclist lanes, and was the first promoter of cycling as a way of reducing cars. The original name of the company translated from Catalan is ‘One Car Less’ (Un Cotxe Menys)

Night tour by bike – includes 1 drink and a stop at music and light show at the fountain near Plaza Espana (Thu – Sat). Price from 25 EUR

FCB Barcelona Tour – imagine you have a chance to see Messi! Just like that, on the streets of the city! This will depend on your good luck, but what’s guaranteed is that you can sit on the first team benches, go to the changing rooms, and see all the trophies. Would you miss this chance while being in Barcelona? I don’t think so. Neither would the rest of the Catalan capital visitors 🙂 Be prepared for queues or buy online from FCB official web-site!

Hiking holidays

Let’s go for hiking now and start from exploring trails within Barcelona:

Night hike to Tibidabo with local guides – from 30 EUR/person – Tibidabo is one of the best view points in the city. You can do the hike yourself, solo, or make a romantic getaway out of it by enjoying the adventure park on the Tibidabo or taking a picnic basket with a bottle of cava and meet sunset, or even sunrise! (check info about self-organizing the Tibidabo hike in the Special spot section below)

Parc de Collserola – spans 8,000 hectares of protected land covering the range of small mountains. Collserola is the largest metropolitan park in the world, 8 times larger than the Bois de Boulogne in Paris, and 22 times larger than Central Park in New York. And it’s just a metro ride away from you! 5 hiking trailsin Collserola from 3,5 km to 11 km can be found here

Hiking trails around Barcelona – although the content when opening one of the articles is in German 🙂 there is a button under each of them translating to English. After all, what you need is the hiking trail map which is not easy to find elsewhere, so let’s enjoy!

Catalan hiking trails – Advised by The Catalan Tourist Office – one of the best resources in your trip

And since Montserrat is a special, super-power place, where one can make a wish, and, oh yes, I do know people whose wishes came true there.

! If you are not ready to hike it all up to the sky – check the other options of getting to Montserrat in Special Spot section!

Montserrat Monastery and Natural Park hiking – the very best way of not just seeing, but really experiencing a spiritual place like Montserrat. The tour starts from Barcelona, where the guide picks you up and takes to Montserrat. Then you visit Santa Maria de Montserrat, see the Black Madonna, get to the Middle of the Montserrat range by St Joan funicular railway with a glass roof and start the hiking trail, optionally climbing to the Albarda Castellana (1177 m) – the peak of Montserrat. Stop for a lunch and continue hiking through the least known area of Montserrat.

Barcelona – Montserrat hiking with a mountain guide – Escape Barcelona for a day and discover the majestic mountain of Montserrat from the inside. Meet the friar, the pregnant woman, the cat, the elephant and the mummy as you hike along hidden paths and navigate thousands of rocky needles with a qualified mountain guide – that’s what I’d definitely do in Barcelona being a solo traveler or coming with common-hiking-minded friends – from 35 EUR/person, 6h

Read more about Montserrat below (non-hiking ways of getting up there) in theSightseeing holidays – where to go from Barcelona

See where to go from Barcelona a bit below in the Sightseeing holidays section!

Talking about sporty places in Barcelona:

Open Camp Barcelona – Open Camp is the world’s first theme park dedicated to sport where you can have fun with your friends or family and feel like a star for a day. Shoot a penalty into the Olympic Stadium goal, feel the adrenaline rush of being a Moto GP rider, beat the 100m sprint record or experience how it feels like to be a Paralympic athlete taking part in a wheelchair race. More than 25 sporting experiences, admission to the Museu Olímpic, restaurants and specialist shops at the legendary grounds of the 1992 Olympic Games. – 20-15 EUR/person

L’Aquarium De Barcelona –skip the line ticket – from 7 to 20 EUR – The Barcelona Aquàrium is the perfect place to find out about the seabed and its different species. The most spectacular of all is the immense Oceanarium, the only one in Europe which is 5m deep and 36m in diameter. A transparent 80-metre-long tunnel runs through the Oceanarium where you can walk among sharks, giltheads, morays, ocean sunfish and many more. With your ticket you’ll also be able to visit the permanent exhibitions, Planeta Aqua and Explora! which show the importance of water in the development of our planet, and where kids can discover the underwater world by using their five senses. By the way, there are some extreme activities which you can do in the Aquarium – read about them just below in the extreme sports part 😉

Marineland Water Park – 10 – 28 EUR – much more than a water park; it combines a dolphinarium, marine zoo and all kinds of slides and attractions, just an hour away from Barcelona.

Ferrari Land & Port Aventura – 60 EUR/adult or 52 EUR/child – PortAventura Park will take you to six fascinating worlds: the Mediterranean, the Far West, Polynesia, China, Mexico and Sésamo Aventura. Six thematic areas with 40 entertainments every day and Europe’s top rides and attractions. And the fun is multiplied at Ferrari Land the first theme park dedicated to the iconic car brand. Eleven rides and attractions are waiting for you to enjoy the speed of the Ferrari world with all the family.

Illa Fantasia Waterpark – The park offers you 22 iconic attractions, three large swimming pools, wave pools and a lake, nine restaurants and landscaped areas with more than 900 open-air picnic tables. Illa Fantasia also has a children’s play area, with mini water slides, such as the Laberint Pirata and Minitous, designed so that kids aged from 2 to 10 can have fun in the utmost safety. And it’s just 20 min away from Barcelona! – 28 EUR/adult, 17 EUR/child, Family Pack – 80 or 90 EUR

Barcelona 2,5h Walking Tour – free activity – I guess it a fun activity, even though I always prefer to have a personal ‘guide’ which is not a guide actually, but a local who likes showing around to foreigners. I’ll show you below where to find these non-guide guides J

In Antoni Gaudí’s footsteps through Barcelona – another free tour – an 11-km city walking map to lead you through Gaudí’s must-see creations. You’ll have six most important Gaudí spots including, of course, Sagrada Familia and Park Güell. Have a look at the map on the website – it’s a very interactive

Gaudí tour on a bike – 3h cycling to the most famous masterpieces & learning unknown facts about Antoni Gaudí’s life. Why not combining architecture and cycling J

Biketoursbarcelona is offering tours like Modernist route, Classic route, Parks & Beaches, Montjuic, Carretera de las Aigues. By the way, this company was founded in 1995, when Barcelona had no cyclist lanes, and was the first promoter of cycling as a way of reducing cars. The original name of the company translated from Catalan is ‘One Car Less’ (Un Cotxe Menys)

Night tour by bike – includes 1 drink and a stop at music and light show of the fountain near Plaza Espana (Thu – Sat). Price from 25 EUR

Montjuic E-bike tour – bike-friendly paths in the most picturesque quarter of the city, overlooking the harbor, visiting Montjuic Castle, the Palau Nacional, Olympic Stadium. Available from 12 y.o., prices from 36 EUR/person

Meet locals – get a local guide

Museums in Barcelona

I’m sure you are aware that there are plenty of them 🙂 And I will stop only at those which are having some authentic notes in their overall palette))

All Museums and Foundations of Barcelona (you can find on the same website also all Catalan museums, and they promise to get ready with the English version of the web – for now on, google.translate, mis amores)

Casa Rocamora – former home of the art lover and collector Manuel Rocamora Vidal, more than 20 collections, a library of 5,000 volumes on literature, art, music and history, and a gallery dedicated to the painter Ramon Casas. It also houses a noteworthy collection of 18th- and 19th-century furniture displayed in different rooms, together with curious collections of advertising material, figureheads, letters and automata – 1h tour – 14 EUR/person

Fundacio Joan Miro – The foundation houses one of the world’s most complete collections of Miró’s work – 12 EUR/person

La Casa de la Seda – The Casa de la Seda was the home of the Sailmakers’ Guild, dating from the 18th century, it is situated in the Ribera district next to the Palau de la Musica Catalana. It has been classified as a Landmark of National Interest and its façade still retains the original and unique 18th-century baroque sgraffito work – 10 EUR/person

Museu del Modernisme de Barcelona – it is housed in a former textile factory in the centre of Barcelona, and now offers visitors the chance to enjoy a cultural centre dedicated exclusively to modernista art. 8,50 EUR/person

Casa Vicens – the first house designed by Antoni Gaudí after graduating from the Escola Provincial d’Arquitectura de Barcelona 1878, the eighth building in Barcelona listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the last to be opened to the public.

La Sagrada Familia – probably the most visited attraction of Barcelona, the construction of the Catholic cathedral started on the donations of a spiritual association founded by a religious bookstore owner. Initially the architect was Francisco de Paula del Villar y Lozano – from 1882 to 1883 – when he resigned from the post and Gaudí took over the work from 1883 till his death in 1926. The completion is planned for his 100th anniversary of death in 2026.

Casa Batllo – Gaudí was hired to demolish the existing house built in 1877, and construct a new one. However, he suggested renovation and the project satisfied the client – textile industrialist Josep Batllo (could he imagine that one day his house will become a UNESCO Herritage Site?)

Casa Milà (La Pedrera) – located in the heart of Eixample on Passeig de Gracia, well-known for it’s chimneys J

Park Güell – commissioned by Gaudí’s main client – Güell, originally was planned to build an estate of luxurious houses. The client was a fan of British residential parks, that’s why despite Spanish (and Catalan) spelling, it’s a ‘Park’ with a ‘k’ 🙂 However the projected real estate success never happened – no practical transport system and exclusive nature of design led to lack of buyers. The park became a huge private garden with Eusebi Güell’s house, his friends – Martí Trias i Domènech house, and the ‘showroom’ which became Gaudí’s house. Public events were hosted there, and after Eusebi Güell’s his heirs sold the park to the City Council.

Palau Güell – an older ordering from Eusebi Güell, which was his family’s house before they moved to Park Güell

Palau de la Musica Catalana – was designed in the Catalan modernista style by the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, constructed between 1905 and 1908.

Hospital Sant Pau – located in Eixample, being constructed for 30 years – between 1901 and 1930, designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner.

Casa Vicens – the first house designed by Antoni Gaudí after graduating from the Escola Provincial d’Arquitectura de Barcelona 1878, the eighth building in Barcelona listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the last to be opened to the public.

La Sagrada Familia – probably the most visited attraction of Barcelona, the construction of the Catholic cathedral started on the donations of a spiritual association founded by a religious bookstore owner. Initially the architect was Francisco de Paula del Villar y Lozano – from 1882 to 1883 – when he resigned from the post and Gaudí took over the work from 1883 till his death in 1926. The completion is planned for his 100th anniversary of death in 2026.

Casa Batllo – Gaudí was hired to demolish the existing house built in 1877, and construct a new one. However, he suggested renovation and the project satisfied the client – textile industrialist Josep Batllo (could he imagine that one day his house will become a UNESCO Herritage Site?)

Casa Milà (La Pedrera) – located in the heart of Eixample on Passeig de Gracia, well-known for it’s chimneys J

Park Güell – commissioned by Gaudí’s main client – Güell, originally was planned to build an estate of luxurious houses. The client was a fan of British residential parks, that’s why despite Spanish (and Catalan) spelling, it’s a ‘Park’ with a ‘k’ 🙂 However the projected real estate success never happened – no practical transport system and exclusive nature of design led to lack of buyers. The park became a huge private garden with Eusebi Güell’s house, his friends – Martí Trias i Domènech house, and the ‘showroom’ which became Gaudí’s house. Public events were hosted there, and after Eusebi Güell’s his heirs sold the park to the City Council.

Palau Güell – an older ordering from Eusebi Güell, which was his family’s house before they moved to Park Güell

Palau de la Musica Catalana – was designed in the Catalan modernista style by the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, constructed between 1905 and 1908.

Hospital Sant Pau – located in Eixample, being constructed for 30 years – between 1901 and 1930, designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner.

Day trips (or even more) from Barcelona - Salvador Dali Day

Santa Pau – medieval village situated in the Baixa Garrotxa Volcanic Nature Reserve in Girona region. A former seat of barony Santa Pau, with a 13th century castle, a 16th century church – Santa Maria. The village has protected heritage and artistic status since 1971, and besides that woods, lush green valley and dormant volcanoes – a perfect daylong city escape.

Sant Jeroni de la Murtra and Puig Castellar – a trip to the north from Barcelona. Sant Jeroni de la Murtra is a 15th century gothic monastery, during its history hosted King Ferdinand II of Aragon and his wife Isabel of Castile, Christopher Columbus after his first voyage to America. Puig Castellar is a settlement belonged to Laietani, ancient tribe of Iberian people, dating back to the beginning of the 4th century BC to the beginning of the 2nd century BC.

Tibidabo by yourself – there are plenty of ways to get to Tibidabo even without a guided tour! And I would prefer to do it myself, especially if you are in a good enough company, not to look for entertainment from guides side. By the way, you should definitely dedicate your time to get there, since it’s the best panoramic spot in Barcelona, is not tourist-crowded and hosts a beautiful amusement park worth visiting regardless of your age.

The easiest and cheapest is to use bus T2A from Plaça Catalunya, it will cost you 2,95 EUR

My favourite option is the combination of FGC train L7 to Avinguda del Tibidabo + retro tram Tramvia Blau + funicular to the top of the hill. It will cost you around 12 EUR

Hiking – get off a metro station and using google maps arrive at the top in 2h

Carmel Bunkers offers you 360° panoramic views over Barcelona, a great picnic area, a breathtaking sunset. The bunkers are not easy to reach, therefore remaining a real gem within Barcelona.

By bus – lines 24 (the closest drop off point is Carrer Muhlberg), 92, 114, 119 and V17, then walking J

Metro + walking 25 min – line 4 and get off at metro station Alfons X

Parc del Laberint d’Horta is the oldest park of its kind in Barcelona, being not just a fairy tale greenery where one can easily meet an elf, but also a place for architecture admirers with its neoclassical, neogothic, neoarabic and romanesque elements hidden in the trees. And of course the name says all about the park’s nature – go get lost in the labyrinth and be patient in finding your way out!

L3 and get off at metro Mundet, walk 10-15 min

From Barcelona to Montserrat – by train, car, cable car

Montserrat Express return train ticket with a rucksack including a guide to the shrine of Montserrat ‘Open-air museum’, discount vouchers to use on site of amenities, a box of carquinyolis (local sweets) and tastings of typical liqueurs – 35 EUR

However if we check the Montserrat Tourist Guide official website, we’ll find much more options which could be a good fit for you!

To Montserrat by train:

The ToT Montserrat ticket – the all in one ticket to cover your return journey from Barcelona to Montserrat – the metro and train tickets, the cable car or rack railway to the Monastery, the museum entrance fee, the cable cars to take you to higher levels and even lunch in a local restaurant . You can purchase the ticket for 49,95 EUR/person here or at the Espana Rail, R5 railway station

Buying a return train ticket – before you go to Montserrat you have to decide whether you want to go to the Monastery by cable car or by rack railway. Depending on your choice you have to get off the R5 train either at Aeri de Montserrat (for continuing by cable car), or Monistrol de Montserrat (if you are taking the rack railway)

To Montserrat by bus:

Go to Estacio Sants bus station and catch the bus offered by Autocars Julia to Montserrat. There is one bus per day with departure 09:15 to Montserrat, and 18:00 to Barcelona. The bus journey takes 1h25min. Check the bus timetable before going – here. More detailed description of the journey can be found on the official web-site of the Montserrat Tourist Guide

Holidays on wheels and in the air - Driving and piloting - Off-road tours & Balloon flights

Barcelona has plenty different means of commuting to offer. But let’s not treat these just as vehicles – these are one of the most unique experiences in the Catalan city, starting from very common Vespas to luxurious cars like Lamborghini, Formula 1 drives and many more below!

To start with something general, including both sea and land transportation:

A Very Special Day – 3 or 6h rental – respectively 75 or 95 EUR/car, for additional cost you can purchase full insurance, cava & bonbons etc.

Rentals – again a 6h rental which includes GPS & tours (Highlights tour, Beach tour, Gaudí tour, Shopping tour, Montjuic tour). It’s up to you if you go for the tours or simply ride around Barcelona – 95 EUR/car

Flight Adventure Crossing – you will cross central Catalonia during a 1h30min flight and enjoy views of Pyrenees, Montserrat, Sierra del Cadi. The experience will end with a lunch in a farmhouse, balloon flight diplomas, and a CD with photos of the day. Prices: 250 EUR/adult, 150 EUR/child, 270 EUR/adult, premium package, 750 EUR/private balloon for 2 people

Ballooning in La Garrotxa – Garrotxa is one of the most beautiful natural parks of Catalonia, where you can see a group of volcanos – Croscat, Santa Margarida and Fageda d’en Jorda. Besides that, during your flight you’ll see so many beautiful medieval Catalan villages! Prices: 170 EUR/adult, premium, 150 EUR/adult, 80 EUR/child

OSONA BY BALLOON This consists of a flight of some ninety minutes with the passengers distributed in one, two or three balloons up to complete the totally number of passengers, followed by a typical lunch in one of the farmhouses which are characteristic of the area. Finally, passengers receive a Diploma, signed by the pilot, certifying their participation in the flight. The price per passenger is hundred fifty (150 €) euros per adult passenger.

The company can arrange customised tours as well, VIP and group packages.

4×4 Excursion In The Pyrenees (5 Days) – travel right into the heart of the Catalan culture and history, to places reached by very few of the visitors to Barcelona. Five days route: Rupit, La Molina, Andorra, Pallaresa valley, The Pyrenees, The National Park of Aiguas Tortes. Lodging in country-houses or hotels on a half-board basis. Multilingual guide, 4×4 cars, activities like kayaking, segways, rafting and hiking included. Ask for quote

Sailing holidays

Sailing, Water Fun Club and BBQ Lounge – a half day on a sailboat and all the best water activities to choose: kayaking, paddling, boating and more. A delicious lunch on board to finalize the trip – 140 EUR/person with minimum 10 participants, duration 5h

Barcelona Photography Courses – contact them to organize a 1,5 or 3h or a whole day of a photo-class in Barcelona. Especially this would be nice for someone already learning photography, therefore seeing the city not only through lenses, but also with a wise advisor behind.

Experimental Barcelona – Experimental Barcelona will include guided tours, but the real protagonist is you! As a matter of fact you will be encouraged in participating in orienteering activities around the city, in using photography, modeling, creative writing, sketching, intuitive drawing, to fix your experience in your memory, forever. You will visit typical districts, meet locals, feel the vibrational atmosphere of the city, focusing on external details and input, but also on our physical sensation and internal emotion. Week-end, 1 or 2 week programs available.

Happiness Program – Building positive social relationships, dealing with stressful situations in an appropriate way, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, feeling pleasant emotions and making positive experiences are all elements that bring happiness to our lives. Week-end, 1 or 2 week programs available.

Mosaic Workshop – ‘Gaudí Experience’ «Trencadís» technique, making an individual piece of art which you’ll take home as the most precious souvenir of the trip – 2h, 45 EUR/person. Livia Garreta’s mosaic studio also offers – Mosaic Initiation course and Advanced Mosaic course.

Mosaico Camaleon offers another Gaudí style workshop of realization of 1 board ‘trencadis’ – the course lasts 12h, you can use the hours based on your availability during working hours of the studio. Price is 119 EUR/12h

Mosaiccos offers a 2 or 3 or 4 hour workshop for adults and children (teambuilding activities are also available) to create your own piece of art in Gaudí’s ‘Trencadis’ technique. Prices: 40 – 55 – 72 EUR/person

Barcelona Treasure Hunt – you can go on your own, as a couple or with friends or even kids. Six treasure hunts offered each in a different district of Barcelona, with the same aim – learn more about the city’s history and be curious during your trip. You don’t need a group (although it’s more fun), just complete the form online, without downloading anything. Price: 15 EUR/person

Personal Shopper – help to pull together entire season’s wardrobe, create a new look or explore the exclusive designer boutiques in Barcelona – prices start at 100 EUR

Winery holidays

Catalonia is Spain’s major sparkling wine producer, and please do not call their cava champagne! Excellent wine regions of Penedés and Priorat make it an ideal destination for wine lovers, and while tasting the best of it and experiencing the process of winemaking, you can also do some other activities, like cycling, discovering Dalí’s artworks and absorbing the Catalan countryside greenery!

Oller del Mans wineries – 400-hectare estate with a 10th century castle and typical Chateau wine philosophy – it harvests grapes from organic vineyard, which was planted twenty years ago, but didn’t begun production until 2004. Specializing in red, rose & white wine, you’ll find plenty of activities on their premises – starting from castle, vineyards & cellar visits, to grape harvest dinners, carriage rides, cycling and off-road riding. After all, you may just come for the high-class tastings! Currently Oller del Mans is constructing an eco-hotel – 30 sustainable cabins in the vineyard and forest.

Perelada Winery & Castle – various winery visit options, starting from tastings + lunch/tapas, to cellar & castle visits and even Spa circuits. There is a possibility to stay in their Spa hotel – see option above. It’s very convenient to stop by the winery after visiting the Gala Dalí Castle and before getting to Dalí museum in Port Ligat (Cadaques)

PRIVATE COOKING CLASS AND BOQUERIA MARQUET You will meet the chef at the cooking school in the center of Barcelona and very close to La Boqueria market. Walk to the market and shop for the class. And then onto the cooking school where you´ll learn the secrets of the world famous Spanish cuisine. Lunch with wine will follow. Duration: Half-day cooking class, 4 h aprox. The class can be done for lunch or dinner, starts around 10.00am or 5.00pm. Two menu options: Traditional cooking with some starters, paella and dessert, or Tapas menu and each tapa paired with a wine. Menu can be changed according to your request

The Chef will meet you at your hotel in Barcelona and will take you to the market. Taxi transfer from La Boqueria to the cooking lesson venue: a private home. You´ll cook two main dishes and a dessert based on some of the most famous recipes of regional Catalan cuisine. Lunch or dinner with local wine will follow.

Half-day cooking class, 4 – 5 h aprox. This class can be done for lunch or dinner, at 10am and 17pm

After the market visit attend the cooking class located on the Ramblas very close to the market, learn how two cook traditional Catalan dishes and enjoy what you have cooked for lunch or dinner. Some Wednesday our chefs feel creative and they do a tapas menu paired with wine